Excitement and interest are building in advance of the $28MM expansion planned for Coastal Container’s Holland facility. On Monday, May 8, 2023, Michigan’s Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II spent time visiting Coastal Container’s Industrial Ave. headquarters, with particular interest in the addition of new, state-of-the art equipment and a rail spur, both of which will have a significant, positive impact on efficiency and distribution.
“The reductions in trucking costs, fuel consumption and the resulting emissions make this a huge win, with regards to our environmental impact goals,” expressed Coastal Container’s owner, Brent Patterson about the rail spur. “And we were proud to share those benefits, as well as our other expansion plans with the Lt. Governor.”
A large portion of the funding will go towards a new Fosber corrugator, which will have the ability to process over two billion square feet of material per year. The expansion, which will add 65,000 square feet to the campus, will be supplemented by community development grants and tax incentives, with one substantial allocation of $10MM coming from Mascoma Community Development, a subsidiary of Mascoma Bank, through its New Market Tax Credit program.
The celebration and promotion of Michigan-based manufacturing featured prominently during Lt. Governor Gilchrist’s visit, wherein he commented on the “positive tenacity” of the Coastal team and business. Gilchrist graduated from the University of Michigan, where he studied computer science and computer engineering, and his plans to launch a “Made in Michigan” campaign were met with enthusiasm by Patterson, who reiterated his passion for and commitment to sustainability and locally-owned and operated manufacturing.
